Wayan’s DC Photos

Its the first day back for many people today after summer vacations. The first day of school for kids, the first day of work for adults.

To celebrate, the WashPost went all hyperbole with its Commuters’ Vacations to End With a Screeching of Brakes story in the Metro section, scaring us with:

Add that to the 1.73 million people who drive to work alone, population growth that has outpaced spending on roads and transit, and general post-vacation doldrums, and the region’s traffic snarls will resume where they left off before the start of summer.

According to census figures for last year, the Washington region’s average commute was the second-longest in the United States, at more than 33 minutes each way.

But is that what you experienced today? I sure didn’t. My commute to work was a breeze and heading home shouldn’t be a problem either.

How did your trip go? Did you get Brownpau luck too?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

hammer time

Originally uploaded by Chaymation.

No, really. Hammertime is Thursday at 7pm at the Reagan Building Stage. Cost? Free.

Am I really going to get to see “Can’t Touch This” Live?!?!?! This could be the best free concert ever.

Of course, the killer line so far is on the Post’s event listing: “Still too legit to quit.”

Now, my friend wants to go to get him to sign a 1099 form, or maybe to throw them as paper airplanes, but I think I just want to hear the man who made so many of my friends look like fools on the junior high dance floor.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Sure, Ethanol is a renewable resource, unlike fossil-based fuels like gasoline and diesel, but could it be costing us the Chesapeake Bay? Apparently, as corn production in the greater Chesapeake Bay Watershed rises, the amount of fertilizer runoff increases, too. This runoff has the nasty tendency to cause algae blooms which then gum up the bay, causing further damage to the habitat.

This then begs the question: is the desire to move to more renewable resources worth the cost of the Chesapeake Bay? I’m not so sure. Of course, with market pressures driving up the price of corn to a point where it becomes the cash crop for the region, it’s hard to tell farmers not to grow it. Where’s the compromise?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

When was the last time you heard someone say, “I went to the DMV today. It was awesome! Boy they really know what they’re doing there. What a top notch, professional operation.”

It amazes me that DMV’s across the country can be so consistently bad and the butt of so many jokes. To compound things, DC has only two main offices to choose from, the inspection center in SE or the office in Georgetown. Either way, you can bank on long lines, Soup Nazi style employees (“No registration for you!”), and something going wrong.

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Well, a battle over guns anyway. At 10am this morning Mayor Fenty had a press conference to talk about moving forward with challenging the overturn on the gun ban. The WaPo article on it is light, but the ever-excellent SCOTUSBlog has more details and links. Of note there is a link to the actual filing [pdf] as well as some interesting observations about today’s filing, particularly this:

The petition raises a single question: “Whether the Second Amendment forbids the District of Columbia from banning private possession of handguns while allowing possession of rifles and shotguns.”

Worded that way, the question appears to offer the Justices an option of deciding the case on narrow grounds, limited to the urban setting of a single city with a history of handgun-related violence, with citizens still able to have some other kinds of guns for self-defense in case of need.

Fenty et all waited right down to the wire on this; the (extended) deadline to file expired tomorrow. Seems like they’re covering their bases, making sure that if they do fail to get the ruling overturned then they’ll at least make use of the stay for as much time as possible.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I was riding Metro one recent hot day and saw something I really did not need to see. You know the type of situation – a hot day in a car with no air conditioning and you seem to sick to everything you touch. It had been miserable from early morning and by the end of the day, the heat seemed to have built up to riot-inducing levels on the train.

One fellow was wearing those thin, short running shorts and had his feet up on the seat next to him. I was not looking for this, mind you, but it was pretty obvious that his “boys” were hanging out right there on the train, in front of God and everyone. Assuming that God uses public transportation.

The woman sitting across from him smiled at me, as if mocking this guy who was probably just trying to cool his loins after a hard day of whatever he does that requires wearing shorts like that. It was not clear if he knew he was letting it all hang out or not, but I am sure it felt better than letting the heat build up even more.

Fellow Metro riders – we have a couple more hot days ahead of us. Please dress appropriately for the comfort of the other riders. We all want to cool off, but that is what “pants optional Friday” is for. And that’s just for the office.

As a side note, my lovely wife dared me to write this without using the term “nut sack.” I am proud to have almost succeeded.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Maybe it was the not-so-subliminal suggestion of Coulton’s performance of his song Ikea on Friday night, or perhaps just a straight-forward effort to placate my darling girlfriend after dragging her to a friend’s debut wrestling performance, but today we ended up in the Ikea in Woodbridge.

At some point since the last time we were there, Ikea has decided to start encouraging use of re-usable bags by charging $0.05 per plastic bag. Alternately they sell blue versions of the yellow ones they provide for use inside the store for $0.55. As someone who re-uses plastic store bags – if you buy something from Nice Mirror when we’re at a street fair you’ll get Ikea, Wegmans or Target bags for your merchandise – I find this somewhat irksome but hey, their heart is in the right place.

Or so I felt till we sat down for a cup of coffee after checking out… and discovered that the creamer was in individual plastic containers and – my favorite part – each wooden stirring stick was individually wrapped in paper, like a fast food straw. Guess the environmental left hand cashiers don’t know what the right hand cafe is up to….

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I’d been looking forward to the Giants/Nats game last night for a while. I mean, how many opportunities do you get to go boo the biggest cheat in organized sports? But the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to go. I’d paid for my tickets, sure, but did I really want to give that douchebag the time of day?

Turns out, I didn’t. I wrestled with it most of the day, I might be seeing history, if he hit a homer, I could tell my kids some day that I was there and saw him play. But, he’s a cheater, I thought, do I want to reward that, even with my boos?

No, no Bonds for me, even if it was Teddy Roosevelt Bobblehead night.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Normally it’s the Pentagon insisting on keeping something secret and outsiders spilling the beans. This time it was an Army Lt. Col. named Bryan Hilferty, stationed at the Pentagon and resident of Alexandria, who was asking an outside agency to reveal what they had decided was a secret. Those secrets being, of course, the Little League rules of play.

Nope, really not kidding.

I missed this story when it ran in the Post in late July, but caught a mention of it in this week’s This is True mailing. True’s editor Randy Cassingham always attaches amusing quotes to his stories of the implausible and inane, but this one doesn’t really need it.

It seems that some years ago parents of players who were injured in non-league games where league rules were used had taken to suing Little League. So the league decided to restrict the circulation of its rules on a need-to-know basis, a concept with which Hilferty was intimately familiar. “I have a secret clearance,” he mused, “I work in the E-ring of the Pentagon, but I don’t have clearance for the Little League rules.”

You should read the whole thing, it’s mind-boggling how some organizations can talk themselves into thinking that if a problem exists then something has to be done in response to it… no matter how inane.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Apparently Paul didn’t like my messing up his name.

Just kidding. This was his reaction to the person(s) who yelled out “Freebird” as a request, though it was accompanied by an excellent little (improvised?) song by himself and Storm, mocking such people.

As Gina said in her comment in the last post, the show was great.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo courtesy of JoCo

When I say TONIGHT I mean TONIGHT FRIDAY AUGUST 31, not Saturday, as yesterday’s Express claims. Tsk, Post editors, tsk!

Tonight Jonatan Coulton will be appearing at the Birchmere with Bob Paul & Storm, formerly of DaVinci’s Notebook. I’ve seen all of them perform a few times and it’s always fun. Bob Paul and Storm were recently on Metro Connection, where you can hear a bit of what their banter and music is like. They describe themselves as funny guys who do music, but Coulton as a great musician who happens to be funny.

Coulton was on the front of yesterday’s Express (no, I don’t read it either – he mentioned it on his website) with an interview on page 41. [pdf] The money quote, I think, is “The credit has to go to Sir Mix-a-lot, since not only is [baby got back] wickedly funny, there is an important message in there about body image.”

He’s speaking, of course, about his breakout hit, which you can listen to free here.

At $20 I think it’s a pretty good deal for a show at the Birchmere. I only recently went for the first time, and was quite happy with the experience. Go early so you don’t have to pay Ticketbastard’s silly fees.

UPDATE: Whoopsie! Thanks Gina, I don’t know why I got Bob stuck in my head – the only thing I can imagine is some random neuron in the back of my brain remembering DaVN’s multiple collaborations with The Bobs. Sorry Paul!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

For the first time in a while, my wife and I had a nice, fast, stress-free, seamless morning Metro commute to work. I think this is the first morning since two Fridays ago that there has not been a “we will hold here for two minutes” backup on the Red Line, “residual” delays on the Orange and Blue, or a jerky “train will move forward” series of stop-start arrivals at various stations.

It’s more than a bit sad that such flawless days on the Metro are becoming more the exception than the rule. Now I bet I’ve jinxed it and will have a hellish trip home tonight.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

More washer/dryer photos

Soon after assuming my half-million dollar mortgage, I started thinking on how to convert my basement to a livable space for friends and family.

The first step on the long path to add a kitchen is to sell the high capacity & heavy duty Kenmore washer dryer set that came with the house.

They are clean and modern, in perfect working order – just like new. As a Metroblogging DC special, I’m selling the washer and dryer for only $350, a ~60% savings from their retail prices.

You can see the current model equivalents here: washer: 02627542000 dryer: 02667422000.

I’m even offering free delivery in Petworth & Columbia Heights neighbourhoods of Washington DC. Or you can pick them up. I can also deliver them for $15-$50 elsewhere in the Metro area, depending on distance, but cash payment is required before delivery.

Email me now if you are interested or read more details after the jump…

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photo courtesy of Mark Lorch

Well, our paper of record has decided that our local Christians are sufficiently thick-skinned to see one of their deceased whackos get some ribbing but that our local Muslims aren’t. You can see the pulled cartoon on Salon, where the management is apparently a little less chickenshit.

I look forward to the next time WaPo gets indignant over some lack of free speech or protection of reporters and their sources so we can remind them that “use it or lose it” is advice that covers a lot of ground.

The pulled cartoon is here. The one WaPo felt was okay is here. (You may be asked to view an ad before seeing the comic) Remember: mocking the dead is okay. Mocking live abstract radicals is not.

Update: I forgot to add – you can’t see the Opus that WaPo actually ran on Sunday since the radical Islamist one is what’s on their website. However they decided to forgo the comic with a subtle joke about celibacy (“anything else I won’t be getting?” “God willing”) to re-run an old one that makes repeated mention of marital infidelity. If anyone has a link to the comic that did run please post it in the comics comments, I think it’s illustrative of how whack this decision is.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Wayan’s DC Photos

WMATA is having more power problems today. There isn’t any rail service between Arlington Cemetery & Braddock Road – a shuttle service should be running now – and as you might imagine, expect delays yellow & blue line.

Add to that the Betrothed Butterbean reports there are masses of emergency vehicles around the U Street-Cardozo station. WMATA only tells us the cryptic:

Expect delays on the green line due to an emergency situation at U St. Cardozo there is no rail service between Georgia Ave & Shaw Howard.

She also says there is a MedStar helicopter headed to Washington Hospital Center – might that be related to the Metrorail emergency?

Anyone onsite to tell us the real deal?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Wayan’s DC Photos

What do you think of the new crosswalks around the Lincoln Memorial? Specifically this one that crosses 23rd Street NW and its twin on Henry Bacon Drive NW.

While I have to say they offer great pedestrian access to Daniel Chester French’s wonderful sculpture of the 16th President, they don’t look friendly to Virginia-bound traffic.

Every time I’ve biked or ran around the monument, there is a long backup of traffic to Constitution Avenue, especially on Henry Bacon Drive NW.

Drivers, what’s your feeling? Is your wait worth a safe and easy tourist experience.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I don’t drive. It’s a long story involving a dent in a parked car on a village road in Southeast Asia, but suffice it to say that I do so enjoy living in DC where I can take the Metro and walk places and not need to pay hundreds for insurance or parking or gas or maintenance. And my carbon footprint is tiny. The major disadvantage to my carless lifestyle, however, is limited travel options, so a peculiar challenge presented itself to me after my wedding two months ago: where to go for a nice, quick, cheap, outdoorsy DC-area weekend honeymoon using only those forms of mass public transportation immediately available to our downtown location?

My solution: Harpers Ferry. Is it possible? I found out:

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So there I was, headed through the security (ha!) line at Dulles, when I overheard a curious conversation between the TSA screeners.

“…and while I was getting the knife, he threw the ID to the other side. That’s how they got me.”

“For me, it was after lunch one day, I wasn’t paying attention… that’s how they got me?”

“You see what you have to look forward to, newbie?”

It took me a moment to realize that they were describing the last time TSA screening testers had come through- the people who figure out whether a particular cadre of TSA personnel are at all likely to notice a weapon coming through the screening area- apparently it’s a lot easier to get past TSA security after lunch. If you have food coma, the terr’rists win!

I feel safer, don’t you?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

AFI Silver has extended the run of the magnificent “Lawrence of Arabia” with daily showings at 3pm and 7:15pm from August 31 through September 13. That’s right, daily!

My viewing a few weeks ago reinforced my love for both a sublime film and theater experience. If you’ve been too lazy to catch it, then you really have no bloody excuse now – “HUT HUT HUT!!”

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs